Dividing bananna trees

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DonnaMW Salem, KY Jul 20, 2007

I want to divide this clump of bannana trees. I can't think of the name for them at this time. I live in west Ky. I normally chop them off to right above ground and cover good with mulch. When is the right time for me to dig up and divide them?

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WeeNel Ayrshire Scotland, United Kingdom Jul 21, 2007

The way to split up banana plants is to scrape away some soil around the off shoots, then where you see the roots of the young plants, you need a sharp knife to cut the baby plant and roots away from the parent plant, get it in the ground that you should have already prepared for this, add some compost to the hole, and plant it as deep or a tiny bit deeper than it was growing, it will need loads of water as it has been getting a lot of moisture and neutrients form the parent plant, you can also pot the young plant into a pot till you know exactly where you want to put it, Bananas like a good watering as much as once a day in the hot weather till they start to die back at the leaves in the cooler autumn, you either protect the growing top with hessian, straw or cut them back, try not to let a lot of water settle into the cut stem in the winter or it will rot it away. they normally come back from the roots the next year. Good luck, WeeNel.

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DonnaMW Salem, KY Jul 29, 2007

Will I not have to dig up the whole clump and then replant as many as there are here?

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NatureLover1950 Vicksburg, MS(Zone 8a) Jul 29, 2007

I've never dug up the entire clump. I do as WeeNel said, use a sharp knife to separate the one/s you want from the parent plant. Push the knife (I use a fairly long knife) down as deep as you can and carefully move it back and forth to sever the baby plant from the parent. When it seems to be loose enough, carefully dig the baby out. As WeeNel said, it will need lots of water until it becomes established. For this reason, I always pot mine for 3-4 weeks so I can keep it close to the house where I can really baby it for a while. I give it a little root stimulator and plenty of water. I also protect it from the hot afternoon sun. Once I see it has completely recovered from the shock of being cut from the parent plant, I put it into a well prepared hole (compost, peat, cow manure, whatever your choice is) and continue to keep it well watered. I've never had one die on me.

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